(a) Field
This invention relates to the field of building materials. More particularly, it relates to a key for releasably connecting members, and to a door assembly kit comprising keys and members releasably connecting to form a door assembly.
(b) Related Prior Art
The assembly of building materials is a challenging endeavour which is facilitated by specialized machinery and tools in industrial and manufacturing settings. However, such assembly remains difficult when performed in a household setting, especially by non-professional individuals.
When a customer purchases furniture or other household material, they may be provided unassembled or only partially assembled, and the assembly of such material usually involves fasteners (e.g. screws, nails, and the like), and adhesives (e.g. glues). The assembly of furniture or material may require other means of assembly which are not normally available to the end purchaser of the products due to their specialized nature. For example, typically, when a home is having its doors replaced, the replacement doors are available and/or delivered in already preformed or assembled forms. It is possible to purchase customized doors from specialized suppliers which will fabricate the door in their own workshop and deliver the product in assembled form, often with a preformed or semi-assembled frame ready to be installed in an opening in a structure. Furthermore, customizations normally involve preparation based on the custom size, depth or other parameters of the opening and rarely involve the mixing and matching of different components to provide unique door design as per the customer's specification.
As an example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,128,807 discloses a wooden door assembly having a wooden composite subframe and an insulative foam core encapsulated therein. However, the disclosed door is assembled from numerous members that are irreversibly put together and do not provide the convenience of allowing disassembly of the door after assembly.
For those disadvantages, there is still a need in the field of building material for ways of connecting members (parts) in a releasable manner.
There is still a need in the field of building materials for door assembly kits.